Textbooks and Legal Encyclopedias: Textbooks / Legal Encyclopedias
Finding Journal Articles: AGIS Plus Text / Finding Journals in the Law Library
Finding Cases: CaseBase / Finding Cases in the Law Library / AustLII / Citing Cases
Finding Legislation: TimeBase / AustLII / Citing Legislation
Further Help: Internet Links / Contact Details

A good starting point for researching a topic is a textbook. Some that are relevant to your subject are:

Ardagh, A, Administrative law
L/KM300/A11/4-4B

Katzen, H, Administrative law
L/KM300/K3/1-1C (1 copy in Law Reserve)

Keyzer, P, Legal problem solving : a guide for law students
L/KL155/K1/2-2A (1 copy in Law Reserve)

To find further titles, search the Library Resources Database (the catalogue).

Legal encyclopedias such as The Laws of Australia are also useful in providing an introduction or overview of a particular area of the law. The Laws of Australia is held in print in Law Reserve and is also available online via Complete Legal Research System. It is divided into separate "titles" or chapters. These can be browsed by:

Browsing the table of contents in The Laws of Australia

Journal articles provide information that is generally more specific than that covered in textbooks or legal encyclopedias. They are also a source of very recent information on a subject. This section covers AGIS Plus Text, as it is the main database for references to articles on Australian law. It provides limited fulltext for articles published from 1999 onwards.

To search AGIS:

A search AGIS using the and connector and * truncation symbol.

You may also wish to search for articles that deal with a specific piece of legislation or case. To do this, search for the title of the Act or case name as a phrase. For example:

Once you have found references to relevant articles, the next step will be to find the text of those articles. Some may be available online on AGIS Plus Text but for others you will need to find the print version using the Library's catatlogue (the Library Resources Database).

To find journal titles, follow these steps:

Searching the catalogue for the Australian Journal of Administrative Law.

From the results screen, click on the title of your journal to display the full record. This contains the call number for your journal (the number on that helps you locate the title on the Library's shelves).

CaseBase is an online case citator which allows you to search for information on cases. To access CaseBase, log on to Sirius and search for CaseBase under Resource Name Keyword.

Searching by Case Name

You can find a case where you only have the names of the parties to a case. Find Aussie Airlines Pty Ltd v Australian Airlines Ltd (No2) using the following instructions;

Searching for a case where Aussie Airlines are one of the parties.

Searching for a case by topic

To search for a case on the cancellation of a pilot's licence by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal;

Searching for cases by subject.

A CaseBase record contains the name of the case, followed by one or more citations of where the case has been reported. If the citation appears as hypertext, it will link to the full text of the case online.

Where there is no link to the full text, you need to find out the full name of the law report series (from the citation) and where those reports are shelved in the Library. To find (1996) 67 FCR 451, you would find out what "FCR" stands for using the Law Reports and Abbreviations Database.

While the Law Library recommends using CaseBase, AustLII is useful in providing fulltext decisions free via the web. Decisions are arranged by jurisdiction and court, although you can also search across all courts and jurisdictions.

The following example shows how to find a case from the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Searching for a case with McBain and aviation as title keywords.

It is vital to use accepted standards when citing cases. The following examples show you how to cite cases in your written work.

Royal Victorian Aero Club v Commonwealth (1954) 92 CLR 236, 240

Royal Victorian Aero Club v Commonwealth = parties involved (in italics)
1954 = year of publication or date of judgment
92 = volume
CLR = abbreviation for report series (Commonwealth Law Reports in this example)
236 = page number
240 = pinpoint citation (this is used when you wish to refer to a particular page of a decision)

As part or your studies you may be required to find a copy of an Act or regulation. While these are published in print, it is often easier to access them online in full text. The following example shows how to find Commonwealth Acts on TimeBase.

To find Acts regarding aviation:

The results for a search on Acts with aviation in the title.

While the Law Library recommends using TimeBase for legislation while you are studying at UNSW, AustLII is a useful, free source of full text Australian legislation.

For a list of Commonwealth Acts and regulations with aviation in the title:

Searching for Acts with aviation in the title on AustLII.

When citing an Act it is necessary to include the following:

For Australian Acts the following abbreviations may be used: Cth, ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic and WA. You may also refer to a specific section of the Act. Section is abbreviated to "s", followed by a space and then the section number. Sections is abbreviated to "ss".

For example:
Airports Act 1996 (Cth) s 63

The following sites provide useful information on aviation regulations.

Administrative Appeals Tribunal
The AAT reviews the decisions of Commonwealth government bodies, such as CASA. Recent decisions are listed on their web site.

AustLII
A joint facility of the UNSW and UTS Law Faculties, AutLII contains cases and legislation from both the states and the Commonwealth. This is a free service.

Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)
"CASA's primary function is to conduct the safety regulation of civil air operations in Australia and the operation of Australian aircraft overseas. It is also required to provide comprehensive safety education and training programs, cooperate with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, and administer the Civil Aviation (Carriers' Liability) Act 1959."

Guide to Legal Research Materials (UNSW Library)
A guide to the major legal research tools. Cover both print an online resources available from UNSW Library.

Further information and resources are available from the UNSW Law Library homepage.

UNSW Law Library is also happy to receive any queries by email.